The Florida Institute of Technology Department of Extended Studies invites prospective graduate students to attend an Extended Studies Instant Decision Day on April 3, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Florida Tech Patuxent Site event will be held at 21803 A Three Notch Road in Lexington Park.

Prospective students can learn about the site’s master’s programs, which include business administration, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering and management. Those who attend will receive an instant enrollment decision, meet faculty and staff over refreshments and have the application fee waived. For more information, call 301-862-1004, or visit es.fit.edu/off-campus/patuxent.

Northrop Grumman scholarship offered

Applications are being accepted for the 11th annual Northrop Grumman Corp. Engineering Scholars competition, which will provide a total of $240,000 in college scholarships across Maryland this year to promising high school seniors interested in studying engineering.

Individual scholarships of $10,000, payable in $2,500 installments over four years, will be awarded by Northrop Grumman this spring to a qualified graduating high school senior in each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore city. Among the eligibility requirements, applicants must have a minimum composite SAT score of 1700 or ACT score of 27 and a minimum GPA of 3.5. The application deadline is March 31. To apply for the program, students must complete the online application available at www.northropgrumman.com/CorporateResponsibility/Community/Pages/EngScholars.aspx.

Three named as Carson Scholars

Rohan Kankaria of Great Mills High School and Amber Major of the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center were recently named as first time recipients of the Carson Scholars Fund. Rebecca Sachs of Leonardtown High School was recognized for her renewed Carson Scholar status because she maintained high academic standards and a strong commitment to her community.

The Carson Scholars Fund announced that 425 students across the country have been named 2013 Carson Scholars, a select group of high achieving students in grades 4 to 11 who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and humanitarian qualities. Students receive a $1,000 college scholarship award and will be honored at a banquet in April.

O’Malley to give commencement speech

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) will be the St. Mary’s College of Maryland 2013 commencement speaker. The graduation ceremony will be held on the college’s townhouse green on Saturday, May 11, starting at 10 a.m.

St. Mary’s Ryken students named in national merit program

Matthew W. Brown of Hollywood, a senior at St. Mary’s Ryken High School, earned finalist status in the National Merit Scholarship Program, meaning he has placed among the top 1 percent of more than 1.5 million high school students who entered the competition by taking the PSAT (Preliminary SAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Commended St. Mary’s Ryken students are Ryan M. Gray of Leonardtown, Joseph F. Heisey of Valley Lee, Conor T. Walsh of Great Mills, and Dominic R. Wilkins of California. Students earning commended status are among the top 5 percent of those who participate in the competition.

St. Mary’s Ryken student Ryan Gray of Leonardtown was recognized as a scholar in the National Hispanic Recognition Program. This honor is bestowed on approximately 2 to 3 percent of students who took the PSAT and identified themselves as Hispanic/Latino, and have a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

SMECO establishes CSM endowment

The Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative has established the SMECO Future Engineers Endowed Scholarship Fund at the College of Southern Maryland with a $100,000 pledge. The scholarship will support students enrolled in the Associate of Science in Engineering in Electrical Engineering degree program with secondary consideration given to students enrolled in other CSM engineering degree programs. For information about scholarships at CSM, visit www.csmd.edu/Financial/scholarships/.

Forrest center students win at SkillsUSA

The Maryland SkillsUSA Southern Regional Competition recently took place at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center in Leonardtown. Students from the Forrest center, the Career & Technology Academy in Calvert County, as well as North Point High School and the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center in Charles County participated in a variety of skilled trades’ competitions. Students receiving first, second and third place in each contest advance to the state competition, which takes place April 19-20.

The Pat Kepferle Friendship Memorial College Scholarship will be available to at least one college-bound student from a St. Mary’s County high school. The award is $2,000 this year. Applications must be postmarked by May 11. Students should contact their high school counseling offices or the scholarship committee at kepferle@ctic-inc.com for more information.

The scholarship was established to help increase awareness among all St. Mary’s County high school students and their families regarding the dangers of meningococcal meningitis and the strong recommendation of the scholarship committee to learn about the disease and the vaccine that can help prevent it, . Parents should consult the health department or their family doctors regarding vaccine availability.

The scholarship was established in memory of Joseph Patrick “Pat” Kepferle, a 1999 Great Mills High School graduate and Towson University freshman, who became a victim of meningococcal meningitis on March 5, 2000. Two students received awards in 2012, Tobin Cooper and Claudia Garcia-Flores, both of Great Mills High School.